Alexis Sanchez
Manchester United stayed second in the Premier League with a reassuringly routine 2-0 win against a very limited Swansea City side, who seemed to be in damage limitation mode for much of the game.
United made a fast start and the game’s scoring was done within 20 minutes, with Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard and Alexis Sanchez looking particularly sharp.
Positives
Lukaku, Lingard and Sanchez caught the eye, as did Paul Pogba on the occasion, but Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic were quietly effective behind them all. David De Gea never let his confidence waver despite long periods of inactivity.
Negatives
If there are any negatives, they are that United should probably have scored two or three more, with Mata missing one glaring chance and his colleagues going close on other occasions. This could have been a game to bolster their goal difference but the three points were gratefully claimed after that dispiriting Champions League exit to Sevilla.